Step by Step
by Metool Bard
Summary: When Sam's insecurities prevent her from celebrating with her friends, Luna decides to teach her how to dance. An epilogue to the episode Racing Hearts.
1. Chapter 1

"So then, after a few letters, she actually wrote a song for me and played it just outside my bedroom window. Totally cliché, I know, but it was just so sweet of her."

Luna blushed and awkwardly looked around as she kept pace with her friends. She and Sam had just told the others that they were officially together, and of course, they wanted the juicy details. In Luna's mind, there wasn't much to tell. Her friends already knew she had the hots for Sam, and they firmly believed that them getting together was only a matter of time. Sam, however, didn't seem to agree, as she had no problem going on and on about every step of Luna's courtship.

"Yeah, I noticed you and Luna were hanging out a lot more after that," Sam's friend Mazzy remarked. Even through her thick red bangs, Sam could tell she was raising an eyebrow at her. "I guess that's when you _really_ started falling for her, huh, Sam?"

Sam shrugged. "I guess. That or I was falling for her the whole time and was just too dense to realize it."

Luna gave Sam a sly smirk. "Yeah, it _did_ take you a bit to realize those love letters were from me."

Sam sneered playfully back at Luna. "Only because you never signed 'em. You were really dedicated to the whole 'secret admirer' routine."

"H-hey, I was nervous, okay? I-I didn't know if you liked me. I-I mean, I always knew you liked me, but I didn't know if you, y'know, _liked_ me. Wait, that still sounds the same…"

Sam giggled. "You are just so cute when you get flustered, y'know that?"

Luna scoffed. "Heh. Takes one to know one. I seem to recall you getting pretty flustered yourself on our first date."

Now it was Sam's turn to blush. "Well, can you blame me? We had no idea what we were doing."

"Oh. Is that why we ended up asking each other to be partners in the Astonishing Quest at the same time?"

"H-how was I supposed to know you wrote another one of your secret admirer letters asking me?!"

"How was _I_ supposed to know you were interested in me?"

"Um, we were hanging out more after your little troubadour stunt? Hello?" Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, and you call _me_ dense."

"Actually, I think you called yourself dense back there, brah."

Although Sam and Luna kept arguing back and forth, neither of them could stop smiling. The rest of the crew just watched in amusement as they continued their playful banter. After a few minutes, Mazzy cleared her throat.

"Hey, I just got a really rockin' idea, dudes," she said. "How about we hit up the club tonight?"

"Man, I was just thinkin' the same thing!" the lanky lead guitarist Sully said. He then smirked at Luna and Sam. "I know I'd love to see these two new lovebirds on the dance floor."

In an instant, all of the color drained from Sam's face. Her whimsical smile was replaced with a blank stare of abject terror. Luna, on the other hand, looked just as excited as the rest of the crew.

"Aw yeah! You guys know I'm always up for a night of clubin'," she said. Her enthusiasm became tempered as a thought struck her. "But, I dunno how Sam feels about it. Dancing's not really— Oof~!"

She was interrupted by Sam elbowing her in the ribs. This prompted odd looks from the others.

"Not really what?" asked Sully.

"Not really a good idea," Sam said hastily. "I-I mean, normally I'd love to join you guys and show off my killer moves. I-it's just that, uh… I-I just remembered that I have a chem lab to study for. Yeah, that's it."

Mazzy gave Sam a look and folded her arms. "Chem lab? Sam, tomorrow's Saturday. We don't _have_ class."

"O-oh, right! Doy~!" Sam said, smacking her forehead. "I-I'm thinking about something else. Um, what I meant to say is… Um, uh…"

Sam continued to hem and haw, sweat dampening her brow. Luna's face clouded over with concern.

"Hey, uh, you okay, Sam?" she asked.

"F-fine! Everything's fine!" Sam said with an awkward laugh. "Just, uh… Oh, yeah! That's right. I promised my mom I'd pick my little brother Simon up from violin practice today. Sorry. B-bit of a brain fart."

The others looked at each other for a moment before sharing a shrug.

"Uh, okay then," said Sully. "But you're still down to join us, right, Lunes?"

Luna looked over at Sam, then back to the others. "Actually, I've got something to take care of first. You guys go on ahead; I might catch up with you later."

The rest of the crew shared another shrug. "Um, alright. Catch ya later, I guess."

Confused, they went on their way, leaving Luna and Sam alone. Once they completely disappeared from view, Luna turned to Sam and crossed her arms.

"Okay, what was that?" she asked.

"Wh-what was what?" said Sam.

Luna sighed. "Sam, c'mon. I'm not stupid. I know that excuse is a bunch of old rubbish."

"W-well, what was I supposed to do?" Sam snapped. "I-I couldn't let you embarrass me like that."

Luna blinked. "Embarrass you? Dude, all I was gonna say was that dancing's…"

"…not really my thing, yes, I know," Sam interrupted. "But could you maybe _not_ tell the whole world about it? Th-that's my private biz."

Luna rubbed her head sheepishly. "Oh, jeez. I-I'm sorry, Sam. I-I didn't know this was such a big deal to you. I mean, lots of people can't dance. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Sam raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Okay, now who's lying to whom?"

Luna blinked. "Wh-what?"

"Don't play dumb, Luna. Admit it. You think it's weird that I can't dance."

Luna gasped. "Where the heck did _that_ come from?! Sam, of course I don't think it's…"

"Luna, stop," Sam sighed, cutting across Luna. "I get it. I love music, so I should be able to move to it. But I can't, and that's weird."

Luna sputtered awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. She couldn't deny that there was some truth to Sam's claim. She _did_ find it strange that Sam wasn't good at dancing. But even so, the fact that Sam was so sensitive about it completely threw her for a loop. Before she could get her thoughts together, Sam raised her hand and shook her head.

"Whatever you're gonna say, you can save your breath," she said glumly. "It's obvious the rest of the band wants to celebrate our relationship. You should go and enjoy yourself. D-don't worry about me."

Sam turned around and started walking away. She barely took three steps before Luna followed her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, c'mon. You can't just beat yourself up like that and expect me to walk away," she said. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing. I-it's stupid," Sam muttered.

"If it's making you miserable, it ain't stupid to me," said Luna firmly. "C'mon."

Sam couldn't bring herself to protest. She just let Luna lead her over to a bench by the bus stop. Luna sat down and patted the empty seat.

"Lay down, Sammy. Rest here in my arms," she quipped. "Don't you think you want someone to talk to?"

Sam let out a giggle despite herself. "S-Sammy? D-did you come up with that just to fit the song lyrics?"

"Hey, whatever works," Luna said with a shrug.

Sam let out another small laugh. "You dork." She then lay down on the bench and rested her head in Luna's lap.

"So, what's all this about, Sam?" Luna asked, stroking Sam's hair. "Why is this so personal to you?"

Sam sighed. "Well, it's like I said. I love music, so I figure that everyone expects me to be good at dancing, too. I mean, I'm pretty sure _you_ were completely confused when I totally botched that part of the Astonishing Quest."

Luna shrugged sheepishly. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But seriously, who cares about that now? We agreed that we don't have to like the same stuff to dig each other, remember?"

"Yeah, but this isn't about that, though," said Sam. "Once we set foot in that dance club, all of our friends are gonna be pressuring us to dance together. Then I'll make a fool of myself, and everyone will realize that something's wrong with me."

"Dude, stop saying that," Luna scolded. "Nothing's wrong with you. Heck, have you ever seen Mick Swagger dance? Sure, he may play a wicked axe and have a killer set of pipes, but man oh man, does he ever look goofy when he tries to cut a rug."

"Well, at least Mick can turn that kinda thing into a meme and get everyone to laugh with him," Sam retorted. "Me? I just end up tripping over my own two feet and ruining everything for everyone else. It happens every time I take the dance floor, without fail. But you know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

Sam looked up at Luna with teary eyes. "It's that whenever I see you dance, I-I can't help but get jealous. You're more than just an awesome rocker, Luna. You're a dancing master, too! You're so in-tune with music that you can embrace it all! Dude, I _wish_ I could move like you do." She sighed. "But I can't. And if I tried, I'd just embarrass the both of us in front of all our friends, and I'd never be able to live it down."

Luna took a moment to take all this in. All the while, she couldn't help but stare down at Sam struggling to hold her tears back. She always thought of Sam Sharp as a spunky, confident girl who could take anything in stride. It was that cheery attitude of hers that Luna admired so much in the first place, and it was also part of the reason she was so hesitant about courting her. So seeing her act so weak and vulnerable was something of a shock. Once she got her thoughts together, she spoke up.

"So, you feel like because you can't dance, you're missing out on an aspect of something you love?" she inquired.

"I-I guess that's one way to put it," Sam mumbled.

Luna nodded and pondered for another good while, absently stroking Sam's hair. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"Hey, I'm just spitballing here, but what if I taught you how to dance?"

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Good luck with that."

"No, I'm being real here, Sam," said Luna. She then lifted Sam into an upright position and looked her in the eye. "Look, if you really don't wanna dance, that's fine. I won't force you. But to be honest, I'm not really getting that vibe from you. Just because something isn't your thing doesn't mean you don't like it."

Sam cast her gaze downward. "I-I dunno, Luna. I-I don't want you to go through all this trouble for me."

"Well, _I_ don't want you to miss out on having a good time with our friends," Luna retorted. "You heard 'em; they wanna celebrate our relationship. I can't really do that without you by my side. It wouldn't feel right."

Sam could feel her cheeks begin to burn. "Th-that's really sweet, Luna. But still, I've been trying to dance for years, and I could never get it right. Maybe I'm just a lost cause."

Luna frowned. "And maybe that right there is part of the problem. Sam, I won't make you do anything you don't wanna do. Just say the word, and we can forget about the whole dancing thing. But if you think I'm just gonna let you drag yourself down with all this negativity, then think again, sister."

Sam's breath hitched as a new batch of tears welled up in her eyes. "L-Luna… A-are you sure you wanna do this? D-do you really think you can teach me?"

"I'm willing to try. It probably won't be easy, but I think it'd be totally worth it," said Luna. She then caressed Sam's cheek. "But this is your decision to make, Sam. If you really wanna move like I do, then we can give this a shot. But if you're really not comfortable with the idea, I won't say any more about it. Either way, I'm not gonna rest until I see you smile again. So, what's it gonna be?"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Sam stared into Luna's eyes. Hearing Luna's kind, encouraging words truly warmed her heart, but her insecurities were still gnawing away at her mind. It was all she could do to keep herself from trembling. Eventually, she took in a deep breath and gave Luna a nod.

"I-I guess it couldn't hurt to try," she muttered. "For you, anyway."

Luna shook her head. "This ain't about me, Sam. I just want you to be happy." She then pulled Sam into an embrace, which she returned in kind. After a pause, the two of them released each other.

"So. How're we gonna go about doing this?" asked Sam.

Luna furrowed her brow. "I think I might have an idea. Let's head back to my place."

Sam simply nodded and followed Luna back to her house. All the while, she couldn't help but wonder what Luna had in mind.


	2. Chapter 2

After some chaotic pleasantries with her family, Luna went straight to the twins' room. Sam waited out in the hall, though she was too preoccupied with wondering about Luna's mysterious plan to properly spectate the typical craziness that was the Loud House. In a few minutes, Luna emerged with a cardboard box and a pink portable stereo.

"C'mon, let's head down to the basement," said Luna. "We'll have more space there."

Sam gave Luna a concerned look. "Um, is your sister okay with you borrowing all that?"

Luna shrugged. "Eh, normally she wouldn't be. But when it comes to love, we Louds like to help each other out. She'll understand." She then scanned the hall. "Though just to be safe, we should probably hustle. Lola's the type to hit first and ask questions later, know what I mean?"

Sam simply gave a shrug of her own. "Well, alright. If you say so."

The two of them hurried down into the basement. Once Luna confirmed that they were alone, she set the stereo on the washing machine and opened up the cardboard box. Inside was a rolled-up mat and some felt footprints, each with a different number.

"What's that?" asked Sam.

"A dance mat with markers," Luna replied. She spread the mat out on the floor and placed a few markers onto it. "Lola usually uses this stuff to practice her pageant routines. It's a great way to learn the basics of dancing."

Sam looked over the mat curiously. "So, how does it work? You just step on the markers in the order they're numbered?"

"That's the basic gist of it, yeah," said Luna. "But there's a bit more to it. Here, I'll show ya."

Luna walked over to the stereo and turned it on. As a simple melody began to play, she took the first position on the dance mat and began to move in time with the beat. Sam's eyes sparkled as she looked on. Even though Luna wasn't showing off with any particularly fancy footwork, the way she stepped from marker to marker so gracefully was enough to leave Sam mesmerized. She had seen Luna dance before, of course, but it was always with a group of friends at a club. Something about seeing her dance on her own caused something powerful to stir within her heart.

But before she could put her feelings into words, the song ended, and the spell was broken. Sam's awe slowly turned to apprehension as Luna gestured to her.

"See? Simple as that," she said. "Go on. Give it a try."

Sam swallowed hard. "O-okay…"

She took the first position on the dance mat, trying her best to control her jitters.

"Whenever you're ready," said Luna, poised over the stereo's play button.

Sam took in a deep breath and gave Luna a nod. Luna nodded in return and turned on the stereo. Sam took a slow, tentative step onto the second marker. Once she felt she was in position, she carefully lifted her other leg and moved to the third marker. All the while, she desperately tried to keep herself from shivering or slipping. Due to her more methodical movements, she was completely out of sync with the song. Realizing this, she gave Luna a pained look.

"I-I'm not doing it right, am I?" she said.

Luna knitted her brow. "It's, uh… It's a start. But it's more than just hitting the markers. You need to move in time with the beat."

Sam gulped. "Right. The beat. N-no problem."

She tried to pick up the pace to match the song, but in her haste, her movements became sloppy. She soon found herself stepping on her own foot and falling over. Luna swooped in and caught her before she face planted into the floor.

"Whoa there. I gotcha," said Luna. She looked down at the mat and stroked her chin. "Hmm. Maybe this routine's a bit too complicated for you. Step off the mat for a sec."

Sam moved off to the side while Luna rearranged the markers. Soon, there were only four markers set up in a square pattern.

"There. That should do it," said Luna. "Just four steps. Nothing too fancy."

Sam looked over the four markers carefully. Once she felt she memorized the pattern, she nodded. "Yeah, this looks simple enough."

"Good," said Luna. "Just say the word."

Sam swallowed and took the first position. After taking a deep breath, she gave Luna a nod, and the music started again. Sam moved shakily from marker to marker, trying to keep time with the music and maintain her balance. All the while, she kept her eyes glued to her feet. While the simpler routine Luna laid out did make things easier, she still felt a bit out of sync. When she tried to quicken her pace, she saw one of her feet was not fully aligned with the marker. Stunned by her mistake, she stumbled and fell once again. And once again, Luna rushed in to catch her.

"You're getting better," said Luna, helping Sam to her feet. "But I think the problem is you're too worried about where you're stepping. Here, let's try this."

Sam stepped off of the mat, and Luna removed the markers and put them back in the box. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"How am I supposed to work with _that_?" she asked.

"Simple," said Luna. "Don't think about it. Just move your body and listen to the music. Do what comes naturally."

Sam's befuddled look did not vanish. "Um, Luna? My whole problem is that this stuff _doesn't_ come naturally to me. I still don't see how this helps."

"Dancing might not come naturally to you, but music certainly does," said Luna. "And if you just relax and let the music take control, you might end up surprising yourself."

Sam looked away and twiddled her fingers. "I-I'm still not sure about this…"

Luna sighed. "Look, we're the only two down here, and I ain't gonna judge you. But if you _really_ still feel nervous, just try counting the beat in your head. I find a mantra like that is a good way to drive off the jitters."

Sam took a moment to think before swallowing a lump in her throat. "O-okay. I-I'll try."

Luna nodded and turned on the music once again. Sam took her place on the mat and closed her eyes. After a few beats, she started to move in the same box-shaped pattern Luna laid out before.

"One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four…" Sam chanted. Just as Luna said, the mantra did help keep her nerves in check, at least for a while. But as she continued to chant, she became more and more aware that her footsteps weren't completely matching up to the music. Luna, however, didn't seem to notice.

"That's it, Sam! You're doing it!" she cheered.

Luna's encouragement caused Sam's heart to flutter, but it also broke the mantra. Now she was fully aware that her body was being uncooperative. Nervously, she looked down at her feet and saw that they were completely out of rhythm. As she tried to get them back in sync, she started to wobble from side to side.

"O-one, t-two, th-th-three, f-f-four. O-o-one, t-t-two, th-three…"

Sam tried to start the mantra up again, but since she was paying too much attention to her flawed footwork, it did no good. For a third time, Luna moved in to catch her before she fell. But this time, she moved too early. Sam managed to step just out of Luna's reach before getting her legs tangled. With a yelp, she fell over and landed on her behind. Luna rushed over to her side.

"Sam! You okay, brah?" she asked, reaching out to her. "Here, let me help you—"

She froze mid-sentence when she noticed the tears trickling down Sam's face. Before she could do anything else, Sam let out a frustrated scream and buried her face in her hands.

"It's no use! I give up!" she bawled. "No matter what I do, nothing works! I can see the dancing in my head, but my stupid body just doesn't listen! I'll never be able to move like you do, Luna! I'll never be able to dance with you!"

Luna flinched. Seeing Sam acting vulnerable was one thing, but actually seeing her break down and cry just made her heart heavy.

"Sam, c'mon. Y-you're not _that_ bad," she said. "You just…"

"Save it," Sam spat curtly. "This isn't gonna work. When it comes to dancing, I'm just a lost cause. End of story."

Luna sighed and sat down next to Sam. "I don't believe that for a second."

Sam turned away from Luna. "Yeah right. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not," Luna insisted. She sighed again. "Look, it would be one thing if you just didn't like dancing. Sure, I'd find it weird, but I'd learn to accept it. But what I _won't_ accept is you giving up on something you wanna like just because it's hard. That's not the Sam Sharp I know."

"B-but you saw me up there," Sam whimpered. "I can't even get through one lousy song without tripping over myself. Maybe something really _is_ wrong with me."

Luna frowned and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Dude, the only thing I see that's wrong here is this defeatist attitude of yours. I believe you can do this, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't believe in yourself."

Sam slowly looked at Luna. "Y-you believe in me? H-how?"

"I noticed something when you were dancing," Luna explained. "Every time you messed up, it's 'cause you got nervous."

Sam sniffled. "I-I can't help it. I-I can't stay upright _and_ keep pace with the music at the same time. And once I realize that, I-I just…"

"I know. I saw," said Luna. She then stood up and reached out to Sam. "Here. I wanna try one more thing."

Sam looked at Luna's hand for a moment. Once she accepted it, Luna pulled her up and placed her other arm around Sam's waist. Sam's cheeks started to burn.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like?" said Luna with a smirk. "We're gonna dance together."

Sam's eyes went wide. "A-are you nuts?! I'm just gonna…"

"Hear me out, Sam," Luna interrupted. "Remember what I told you before? You're getting so worked up about where you step that it's messing up your groove. So if the mantra isn't enough to distract you, maybe I can give it a shot."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Luna looked Sam right in the eye. "Listen carefully, Sam. I want you to follow my lead and just move along with me," she instructed. "And while we're dancing, focus on my eyes and don't look away. Think you can do that?"

Sam bit her lip. "I-I don't know, Luna. Wh-what if I end up stepping on your toes or something?"

"That might happen," Luna said with a shrug. "But if you keep fretting over it, that just makes it more likely. You need to loosen up a bit and let the music flow through you. That's the key to dancing."

Sam mulled it over for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Okay. But this is my last shot."

Luna smiled. "We'll see. Remember, follow my lead, and don't look away."

With that, Luna reached over and turned the stereo on once more. She then started straight into the dance, holding Sam's arm aloft while keeping her other arm firmly around her waist. Sam mimicked her and tried her best to keep pace. As she stared into Luna's eyes, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Worried that the palpitations would throw her off-rhythm, she snagged a quick glance at her feet.

"Up bup bup! Eyes up here, Sam," Luna chided.

Sam snapped back to attention, but it wasn't enough to alleviate her fears. She soon found herself chanting the mantra again.

"One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four…"

Luna's smiled widened. "There you go. Just like that. One, two, three, four…"

The two of them danced around the basement, with Sam repeating the mantra aloud and staring into Luna's eyes all the while. Every so often, she would step down at an odd angle and stumble a bit. But every time she did so, Luna just pulled her back up and held her close.

"Just relax. I'm right here," Luna cooed softly. "I won't let you go. Not until you're ready to do this on your own."

Slowly but surely, Sam's anxieties began to melt away. Luna's embrace felt like a protective cocoon, keeping her safe from her own clumsiness. She began to daydream about dancing with Luna at the club, with all of their friends cheering them on. She breathed out a small laugh, her eyes becoming misty once again. Luna laughed along with her.

"There we go. There's that cute smile of yours," she said.

At that moment, the song concluded. As Sam snapped back to reality, she accidentally stubbed her toe against the side of Luna's boot. The two of them fell over onto the mat, still in each other's arms. Sam gasped and scrambled to her feet.

"O-omigosh, Luna!" she squeaked. "I-I am so, so sorry. A-are you okay?"

Luna snickered and looked up at Sam. "What was that you were saying about being a lost cause?"

Sam blinked. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I think you know," said Luna, picking herself up. "That was your best run yet, Sam. You're better at this than you give yourself credit for."

Sam blushed and rubbed her arm. "O-only because you were there to support me," she mumbled bashfully. "I-I couldn't imagine doing this on my own."

"I can," said Luna. "Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but you'll get the hang of it someday. You just need to keep practicing, that's all."

"Y-you really think so?" Sam asked.

Luna smiled and clasped Sam's shoulder. "Dude, I know potential when I see it, and you've got it in spades. Now, I can't tell you what you want, so I wanna hear it from you. Do you want to keep learning how to dance? Just tell me honestly."

Sam closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, mustering up the courage to respond. Finally, she nodded.

"Yeah. I think I do," she said. "I always did like watching other people dance, especially you. But because I could never do it myself, I just wrote it off as something that wasn't my thing."

"I had a feeling that was the case," said Luna with a smirk. "Just wanted to make sure. You feeling better now?"

"Much." Sam then threw her arms around Luna. "Thank you, Luna."

Luna smiled and returned the embrace. "Don't sweat it, Sam. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. And just remember, whenever you start falling, I'll keep calling you back again."

"I really appreciate that," said Sam. "I'll try to do the same for you, too."

"Hey, Luna."

Sam and Luna shrieked as Lucy popped up out of seemingly nowhere. When she saw Luna with Sam, she immediately blushed.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry," she said. "Is this a bad time?"

"K-kinda," said Luna, shaking herself. "What's up?"

"Dad says dinner's almost ready. He made extra because he assumed that Sam was going to join us."

Sam blinked. "Whoa. How long have we been down here?"

"Pretty long, from the sound of it," said Luna sheepishly. "Um, are you cool with joining us, brah?"

Sam shrugged. "Sure. My mom already knows I'm gonna be home late, and I'm sure our friends won't mind if we skip out on clubbing tonight." She then blushed. "I'm… not quite ready for that, anyway."

"Totally hear ya," said Luna with a nod. She then turned to Lucy. "We'll be up in a bit."

Lucy nodded in return. "Oh, and B-T-Dubs. Lola says if you don't return her dance mat by dinnertime, she's going to drag you to Liam's farm to help her and Lana get their Junior Veterinarian patches for the Bluebells."

Luna did a double take. "Wh-what?! How'd she even find out?!"

"'Cause you just told me."

Luna's head whipped around to see Lola at the top of the stairs, a smug grin plastered on her face. Luna groaned and facepalmed.

"Dang it," she grumbled.

"Well, think of it this way," Sam said coyly. "Just because farm stuff's not your thing doesn't automatically mean you don't like it."

Luna shot Sam a dirty look, but it soon dissolved into a laugh. "Got me there, Sam. So, uh…"

"Don't worry. I can help you out," said Sam. She took Luna's hand in hers and smiled. "After all, you did the same for me."


End file.
